Best Business
Terms & Conditions of the Best Western
Best Business Scheme 2008.
Please note: The use of your Best Business identification number indicates your acceptance of the Terms and Conditions set out below.
In these conditions, “we” “us” and “our” means Interchange and Consort Hotels trading as Best Western Hotels, “you” and “your” means you, the company member of the Scheme, “Scheme” means the Best Western Best Business Scheme and “Scheme Benefits” means all benefits, discounts, rebates and rewards of whatever description or nature which are at any time offered, available or provided in accordance with the Scheme.
Membership of the Scheme is subject to the following terms and conditions.
1. Acceptance of membership to the Scheme is at our complete discretion at all times.
2. You are responsible for ensuring that all employees abide by these terms and conditions and for any misuse of your Best Business identification number or of your Scheme membership.
3. The Scheme Benefits only apply to bookings made via Best Western GB Central Reservations for Best Western hotels within England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands. The Best Business identification number must be quoted at the time of booking or the booking will not qualify for Scheme Benefits.
4. You agree to promote the use of Best Western Hotels by distributing your Best Business identification number to all relevant staff and departments authorised by you to book hotel accommodation in Great Britain. You are responsible for all bookings made using your Best Business identification number.
5. All bookings (except those bookings referred to in clauses 10, 11 and 14 below) made through the Scheme shall be on the Best Available Rate / Advance Purchase Rate on the Best Western Central Reservation System. Except where otherwise stated, all corporate accommodation bookings are subject to Best Western’s full Hotel Collection terms and conditions which can be found in the current edition of Best Western’s Hotel Collection. In the event of any conflict between these terms and conditions and those of the full Hotel Collection, the relevant provision(s) of these terms and conditions will apply in respect of and to the extent of the conflict.
6. We reserve the right to terminate your membership of the Scheme if the average number of room nights booked in each year of your membership is or reasonably appears likely to be less than 50. We will monitor this on a quarterly basis and shall be entitled to terminate your membership on giving 14 days written notice to you to expire at any time if it reasonably appears to us that you will not achieve or have not achieved this target.
7. Bookings made direct with hotels do not qualify for any Scheme Benefits.
8. You can claim a minimum 5% discount on Best Western Venues conference and meeting bookings when the booking is made and confirmed via the Best Western Venues offices. The discount applies to the pre-booked value of the day delegate/24 hour delegate rate only. The discount applies to hotels published conference and residential rates but may not apply to special offer, discounted or negotiated rates. All Best Western Venues bookings are subject to Best Western’s full Best Western Venues terms and conditions, which can be found in the current Best Western Venues Guide or on www.bestwesternvenues.co.uk
9. You can use your Best Business identification number for bookings of hotels in England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands to guarantee a booking without the need to confirm it in writing. The room will be held until arrival. However, if the booking is not to be taken up or is cancelled by notice to Best Western Central Reservations later than 4pm on the day of arrival, you will be charged for one night's accommodation at the Best Business rate less the applicable rate for breakfast and VAT.
For a limited number of hotels you must notify your cancellation at least 24 hours in advance of your advised arrival time (failing which the above charge will be payable). You will be advised if this is the case at the time of booking.
10. You may also be entitled to participate in the Best Western Best Western Rewards Scheme. However exclusions and limitations may apply. For more information please visit www.goldcrownclub.co.uk or call: 01904 695 444
11. Subject to applicable Best Western Rewards Scheme terms and conditions (including exclusions and limitations), you may redeem points acquired in accordance with the Best Western Rewards Scheme in order to provide benefits and rewards for your employees. Any liability to taxation arising from or in connection with the provision of any and all such benefits and rewards shall be the sole responsibility of you and/or the employees concerned.
12. You may pay invoices direct to the hotel on departure or, if requested by you, we may grant "Account To Company" facilities, subject to acceptable credit checks being obtained by us. We reserve the right to refuse such requests and shall not be required to discuss reasons for refusal. Where granted, Account To Company facilities will only apply to bookings of hotels in England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands made in accordance with these terms and conditions and will only cover overnight accommodation for individuals. Conference and Meeting delegates’ accommodation and/or meeting room charges will not be covered by these facilities, and must be agreed with individual hotels if required. If account to company is granted, when booking online you will need to guarantee the booking with a credit card. Payment will not be made on this credit card and the booking will be invoiced back to company. If booking Advance Purchase Rates full prepayment is required at the time of booking.
13. You will earn a rebate of 3% (payable by BACS) on specific corporate accommodation bookings you make through the Scheme and not for example on any Best Western Venues bookings you make or any of the bookings referred to in clause 14. The rebate will be calculated on the total cost of the booking to you excluding all incidental expenditure such as drinks, meals and the like.
14. The Best Business identification number and/or the Scheme cannot be used in conjunction with any other rebate or points program. Furthermore rebates cannot be earned on the following: -
• Negotiated Rates
• Weddings
• Leisure Club Membership
• Any services not provided by the hotel (e.g. golf fees)
• Prepaid UK travel agency bookings
• Best Western voucher programs
• Any bookings specifically excluded from Scheme Benefits in accordance with particular Best Western offers and/or promotions
• Conference meetings
• Group bookings*
Rebates cannot be transferred to other Scheme members.
*Group bookings are defined as those booked via the Groups Desk or for more than 12 rooms not related to a conference.
15. Your rebate will be paid to you on a “self-billing” basis quarterly for all rebates earned. We (Interchange and Consort Hotels trading as Best Western Hotels VAT registration number: GB240522406) agree to issue self-billed invoices for all rebates due to you. We agree to complete self-billed invoices showing your name, address and VAT registration number, together with all the other relevant details, which constitute a full, VAT invoice.
We agree to make a new self-billing agreement in the event that our VAT registration number changes. We agree to inform you if the issue of self-billing invoices will be outsourced to a third party. You agree to accept the invoice raised by us on your behalf. You agree not to raise invoices for the transactions covered by this agreement. You agree to notify us immediately if you change your VAT registration number, cease to be VAT registered, or if you sell your business, or part of your business .
16. You will receive your rebate by BACS payment quarterly on or around the 20th of the month following the end of the quarter except where the rebate earned is less than £10. In this case the rebate will be retained by us and carried forward until the cumulative total of rebates owed to you equals £10 or more at which point we will pay it to you in the next quarterly remittance.
Please note: If you do not give us your banking details (by completing signing and returning the membership form) we will be unable to pay you your commission as payment can only be made by BACS.
17. We reserve the right to amend these terms and conditions at any time and/or to withdraw, change or add to the Scheme Benefits or any of them on giving you 14 days written notice.
18. All liability to taxation arising from or in connection with your membership of, participation in or use of the Scheme or any Scheme Benefits and/or your membership, participation in or use of the Best Western Rewards Scheme or any benefits or rewards of any description offered, available or provided in accordance with the Best Western Rewards Scheme is your sole responsibility or, in the case of rewards or benefits provided to employees in accordance with the Best Western Rewards Scheme, the responsibility of you and/or the employees concerned. You agree to indemnify us in respect of any such liability.
19. We are entitled, immediately on giving you notice in writing, to terminate your membership of the Scheme in the event of any material breach by you or any of your employees of the Scheme terms and conditions and/or to withdraw, cancel and/or seek reimbursement or repayment of any Scheme Benefits obtained in breach of the Scheme terms and conditions.
20. For the avoidance of doubt, you are responsible to the individual Best Western hotel for the payment of all charges incurred by you or your employees with them whether you are paying invoices direct to the hotel or have been granted "Account To Company" facilities. Best Western central office has no responsibility or liability for any booking in any respect.
All terms and conditions are correct at time of going on the website – July 2008
